Great moments from Pride and Prejudice

I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice in about 25 years. I always liked Mr. Bennett, though now that I have been married for more than 20 years, I can more fully appreciate his line from Chapter 1:

“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.”

I love how Austen, who at times lets us into the interior thoughts of her characters, knows when to back out of the story, as in Chapter 31, where first of all we have to deduce Elizabeth’s private feelings based on the zinger she chooses to hurl at Darcy, and then we have to do even more work to deduce her feelings when, after being prompted to speak by the domineering, Lady Catherine, Elizabeth instead returns to the piano.

Screen Shot 2015-12-28 at 6.24.44 PM“I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,” said Darcy, “of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.”

“My fingers,” said Elizabeth, “do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women’s do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault — because I would not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman’s of superior execution.”

Darcy smiled and said, “You are perfectly right. You have employed your time much better. No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you can think anything wanting. We neither of us perform to strangers.”

Here they were interrupted by Lady Catherine, who called out to know what they were talking of. Elizabeth immediately began playing again. —Pride and Prejudice

A great example of dialogue and action working together to show rather than tell.

6 thoughts on “Great moments from Pride and Prejudice

  1. That is one of my favorite books. I love the movie with Keira Knightly. I love the scene where she refuses him. Elizabeth is a very strong and confident woman. I also love the music and how it flows through the scenes.

    • My wife showed me one from the late 80s or early 90s, and I happened to catch the Greer Garson / Lawrnence Olivier movie on TV shortly before I met my wife (and had occasion to quote a line from it early in our relationship, which earned me some points). The picture I included above came after I Googled for “Elizabeth Darcy Piano” — I haven’t actually seen that adaptation. Is there an adaptation you know of that you recommend?

    • It’s a very good adaptation. The BBC version is a bit more true to the overall narrative style and plot of the book, and if course has the famous pond scene, but in this version the role of Darcy’s rich aunt is played brilliantly by Dame Judy Dench, and this version better portrays the importance of marriage and property in a middle class woman’s life. Both are good, in my opinion.

    • Agreed 100% about Dench. She was absolutely magnificent. And the guy that played Darcy was uberhot!

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